This invention relates to vehicle safety belts and in particular to a passive safety belt apparatus which automatically applies a safety belt to a vehicle occupant upon entering the vehicle and closing the door. More particularly the present invention relates to such passive vehicle safety belts wherein the safety belt is provided with a winding device mounted to the vehicle door and belt diverting device mounted to the vehicle door adjacent to the vehicle seat at a height corresponding to the shoulder of a passenger.
Prior passive safety belt arrangements, such as described by Seiffert, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,822 have a diagonal shoulder belt which is afixed to the vehicle frame adjacent to the seat on the side away from the vehicle door by a winding device and afixed to the vehicle door at a height corresponding to the shoulder level of the vehicle occupant. Seiffert shows the use of releasable interconnection between segments of the diagonal shoulder belt to be used in the event the belt winding device is disabled during a vehicle collision, so that the vehicle occupant or others can effectuate the release of the diagonal belt, thereby allowing the occupant to leave the vehicle. The releasable interconnection provided by Seiffiert is not normally used by the vehicle occupant since the safety belt is automatically applied upon entry into the vehicle and closing of the door. The interconnection is provided only in the event that following an accident there results a blocking of the action of the belt winding device preventing an opening of the vehicle door and safe exit of the vehicle occupant. In accordance with Seiffert, the interconnection is located in the vicinity of the fastening point of the shoulder belt to the door frame, adjacent to the door window, so that in the event of an accident in which the vehicle occupant has been rendered unconscious, it is possible to release the belt connection from outside the vehicle.
A belt interconnection arrangement such as disclosed by Seiffiert is unsuitable in the event the safety belt is provided with a belt diverting device at shoulder height on the door and a winding device mounted to the door since the belt interconnection device would be unable to pass through the belt diverting device.